Italy · Tuscany

Castello di Ama

Castello di Ama is one of Chianti Classico's most artistically distinguished estates, located in the Gaiole in Chianti subzone and known as much for its contemporary art program—with permanent installations by Louise Bourgeois, Daniel Buren, and others—as for its wine. Founded by four families in the 1970s and now managed by Marco Pallanti and Lorenza Sebasti, the estate covers 90 hectares under vine at 480–620 meters elevation. Pallanti has long championed single-vineyard expression in Chianti Classico, pioneering what became the Gran Selezione category. The estate's L'Apparita—a single-vineyard Merlot introduced in 1985 and among Italy's earliest serious Merlot bottlings—averages $152 across 70 lots with the 2015 vintage most traded. Vigneto Casuccia Gran Selezione averages $137 across 46 lots (2013 peak), and Vigneto Bellavista Gran Selezione averages $153 across 30 lots with the 1993 vintage most sought-after at auction—reflecting deep collector interest in older vintages. The Ama estate wine averages $57 across 25 lots. Across 171 lots at an average of $135, Castello di Ama sits at the premium tier of Chianti Classico with international collector recognition driven by both the wines and their unique art context.